


Gossip

by alasondria



Category: Phantasy Star Online 2
Genre: F/M, Luthaly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 07:09:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15836295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alasondria/pseuds/alasondria
Summary: Alasondria doesn’t like jealous noblewomen.





	Gossip

**Author's Note:**

> gestures vaguely

Gossip has ever always followed Alasondria and Luther since her arrival to Cuent. A native Verunian who became the right hand of the Cuentian prince. It would be less of a scandalous topic, had Verun not ceased trade with Cuent, barred all communications, and cobbled together their own Devil Castle through botched summoning based off Luther's work.

 

Though the loose-lipped nobles in court dare not approach the prince directly, they did fall upon Alasondria in droves at most every banquet and meeting, particularly when Luther did not attend; a rare occurrence but one that happened nonetheless.

 

Alasondria played along until the night drew cold. She entertained them; procured them drink after drink to placate the social hierarchy they no doubt felt over her due to her birth, and nodded her head along in tandem with the slurred secrets they spouted at her, too drunk by then to realize they had foregone the jibes they'd prepared for her instead.

 

What started in their minds as a means to antagonize the common woman who, to them, had bribed her way into the prince's arms, later became a night of multiple admissions of certain houses accepting illegally sanctioned funds from Es-Ars, smuggled goods from Epic, and under the table deals with a certain unnamed individual in Verun.

 

So Alasondria listened, making mental notes of the family names that cropped up in the fervent confessions of alcohol-addled court women looking to find a link through her to the prince they so admired. The more they admitted, they figured, the more inclined the prince's aide would be to introduce them to him.

 

Alasondria ever always promised with a pleasant smile that she would pass their regards to Lord Luther, adding that he would most certainly find their tales to be _quite_ interesting. It took far too little to get the court women covering their faces and fawning together, for simply one mention of their lord sent them into a giddy fit the moment his name hit the air.

 

"You have my word that Lord Luther shall respond with due haste," Alasondria's smile broadened a touch and the noble women swarming her cooed over the prince.

 

It was three days later that soldiers of Cuent appeared before the women involved with the suspected families. They'd corroborated testimonies for their treasonous acts from several witnesses. Covert deals with the other nations including sensitive material regarding the research the magician’s studium had kept confidential. Though they’d not personally leaked Luther's experiments with Ephemera, his notes on it as a catalyst for amplifying mana output and spell potency was traded off for large sums of money.  

 

Alasondria arrived at the scene just as the soldiers began filing out the members of each house found guilty of illegal dealings. Shortly thereafter, Luther appeared, placing a hand at the small of his aide's back. He leaned down to whisper something in her ear. She blinked, brows furrowing. His hand moved up to rest on her shoulder as his other gestured ahead, singling out a noblewoman, already apprehended, who glowered at Alasondria from afar.

 

Alasondria offered her a placid look before an idea struck her.

 

That was the most zealous woman of the gaggle that plagued her that night at the banquet. Fervent in her delusional devotion to the prince as she was, she endorsed a deal to siphon money from a broker in Es-Ars to fund research at the studium, believing it would garner the attention of her prince. The receptionist for the studium caught the dubious funds immediately and declined each attempt to forward the money. She called upon Alasondria to expose the noble woman who'd sent the funds, which only served to paint her ever more guilty.

 

Luther had turned his attention to a magician of his, hearing the very same account of the illicit funding attempt to their academy. In his musings of the ordeal, he brought a hand to his hip and curled his other under his chin.

 

Alasondria took the opportunity to latch onto Luther’s arm and press herself into his side, muttering something to him that snatched him from his reverie and pulled his lips into a warm smile. The magician before them laughed, tipped her hat shyly, and excused herself.

 

Luther allowed his free hand to cup Alasondria's cheek briefly as he whispered a string of words unintelligible to the noble woman who looked on in indignant fury. Alasondria closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, a pleased expression on her face. Luther bowed his head forward and, though it was swift, placed a kiss to his aide's temple.

 

Where the soldiers and magicians might have missed it, or feigned ignorance out of necessity, the noblewoman who had hounded the prince's aide had not. Her eyes remained transfixed on the pair, a fire born of the hottest scorn and envy brimming inside them. Alasondria spared her a glance, a smirk so devilish in its nature arching on her lips.

 

Luther gently tugged her along, offering loud enough for all present to hear. "This business is concluded. Shall we retire, dear?"

 

Alasondria retraced her gaze to the prince and her smirk was replaced by a small, cheeky smile instead. "We shall."


End file.
